Borderlands: Ascension
As Angel and her guide rounded the corner a few minutes walk from the new U-Station , she wasn't sure what she expected. A small ramshackle house or a something else equally fit for those who struggled to live on Pandora. But not this.
Holland's home was a modest small building surrounded by fences that Angel couldn't reach the top of even if she jumped. Not that she wanted to, eyeing the dark stains in certain places on the barbed wires with metal spikes below them, wielded to the fence itself. There was a central gate entrance which was electronically locked in the middle of the fence, it had no handle and a red light was blinking dully at the top of the gate. There was a home made path made with slabs of stones cracked and worn away by time.
Holland's home was carefully maintained. Each metal side was washed carefully to avoid rusting, the door looked well oiled, The roof was almost flat with a small circular chimney. The windows didn't sparkles but they were clean from what see could see behind the linked chain fence gate.
"You have glass windows?" Angel asked surprised. Glass was a commodity on Pandora. Not due to cost but simply because of the short life span of glass. If it wasn't bandits shooting them or skags smashing them, acid splashes melting them, it was the very heat making them torture devices. Holland snorted loudly.
"Glass ain't worth my time if it gets broken every day by idiots waving guns. Its poly plastic moulded with a clear metal, its every bit of real glass but the touch. The touch feels like a sheet of metal." He grunted his dislike at this piece of information. Angel turned to look at Holland.
"You made them?" She asked unable to hide her interest. Building things, machinery, creating something from nothing or lesser parts. Angel loved the concept, heck her Siren powers were basically manipulating machines and creating objects with energy. Not that she understood them very well. Her old necklace or slave collar in reality prevented her from doing "pointless and boring" things with her powers as John used to say.
Holland smiled. He look pleased at Angel's tone, impressed not shocked.
"If a man has nothing to do on Pandora then he either dies or goes insane. I'm good at making things." He answered as they reached the main gate. Holland reached into his shirt and pulled a metal key from around his neck. It looked large and heavy. He leaned over and moved a panel on the gate aside to reveal a keyhole. Inserting the key, he turned it once to the left then to the right in equal distances. The red light, she noticed earlier, flashed green and Holland pushed the gate open and it swung forward without making a noise. Holland waved his hand in an "after you" motion. As she did, she remarked
"Like new U-stations?" Angel smiled at him, stopping when she noticed his frown. Holland stepped through the gate and it shut as quietly as it opened. The red light flashed to show it was locked. Angel had a sudden stab of panic. What if she went from one cage to another? What if Holland became her new John? Her heart beating, she took a step back. Holland raised an eye brow at her.
"You okay Miss Angel? You look paler than the moon." it was asked gently. Angel swallowed the lump in her throat. Trying to calm down, she breathed, this was a guy just wanting to help her. This was not her father.
"You will let me out when I want? I'm not trapped here?" Angel was tired of the lies, tired of trying to listen for what was not spoken. The bluntest of her question was soothing in its own way. John would of punished her for being so reckless or obvious. Holland looked at her through surprised eyes.
"What you talking about Miss Angel? Trapped... oh sweetheart listen." He took out the key once again and removed it from his neck. Without a word he tossed it at Angel's feet. Not expecting it, Angel eyes widened and she reach down and snatched it. Holland nodded in reassurance.
"I don't trap helpless people here, I protect them. But they are free to go at any time. Sorry for startling you Miss Angel." To show his point he stepped away from the gate and walked the path to the house. Angel watched him go until he disappeared into his home. Angel wanted to curse but settled for something less.
"Fudge." It felt good to say what she wanted. Maybe one day she could swear as freely as she wanted. The idea was still in her head that John was watching, listening and controlleing her. But this charade was boring, not his style. Angel followed Holland's steps and reached his front door. A small porch made of wood decorated the front of the building.
It was a good touch in her opinion. She stopped before knocking, Angel reached out and stroked the brown material. Wood felt smooth and not cold. Angel always wanted know what wood felt like. It felt nice. Something to check off the "Never going to get to do these things" list. Taking another deep breath she knocked on the metal door. Her knocking resounded loudly. Angel listened carefully.
"Holland? Are you there? I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to offend you." Angel talked loudly through the door. A voice came from her left.
"Offend me Miss Angel? It takes a lot to do that and you haven't gotten there yet." Angel spun to see Holland at the side of the building leaning in on the metal side with his arms crossed.
"You went inside. I thought you were angry." Angel said slowly. Holland shook his head. He held up his hands to show another large key in fingers. An exact copy of the one Angel held.
"Was just getting my spare key in case you decided to split. Glad to see you stuck around Miss." Holland smiled at her. Angel felt her own smile creep across her face.
"Have some tea. Does the mind some good." Holland moved around the kitchen in a relaxed pace. It was dim but not dark. It look clean and efficient, what she had quickly come to learn about Holland. Angel was sitting in a chair in the living room, where the kitchen was connected. The inside of the house was simple but for what it held it was homely. Several green plants sat in shade. Books. Actual books sat on a shelve in the living room, most were scientific journals. A thread bare rug was placed in the middle of the living room.
Holland came back from the kitchen with two steaming mugs. Angel gingerly accepted the given cup. It was hot but not unbearably so. It smelled sweet and tangy. Taking a sip, a nice taste washed over her tongue. After 5 years, anything would taste wonderful. Holland took a deep drink of his own.
"Ah Blood berry juice tea, can't start a day without it." Holland sighed, then noticed Angels shocked look at her own cup.
"It's fine, they're not actually grown in blood or anything. It's just the name the locals give them because of the colour." Holland fished before he drained the rest of his cup dry. Angel eyed him before drinking some more. Holland sat down and got comfortable. Angel finally put down her cup, feeling full in a good way. Eridium had nothing on actual substances.
"Thank you, it was delicious. I never heard of … blood berries before. Do they only grow in this region?" Holland nodded.
"Yeah the bush that grows them could be exported to other regions but when on paper you got a name like 'blood berries' then they tend not get bought." He chuckled. Angel nodded, seeing why.
Holland rubbed his chin.
"So Miss Angel what caused you to appear on the other side of the planet on my doorstep?" Holland asked suddenly. Angel not prepared for the change in topic blinked at him.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Holland showed his hands palm up.
"The idea of the New-U is that you died and are rich or influence enough to use it. Both points merit a little story time, yeah?" Holland said matter of factly. Angel didn't speak for a few seconds.
Where to start and where to end? How much to tell.. Could she trust Holland with information that could get him killed by John or anyone with Hyperion loyalty or greed for their money. All her life she had manipulated, fooled, lied, triple checked every word she said. Angel was tired of it all.
Honesty would be her drug of choice.
"I am Handsome Jack's daughter." Saying the words aloud didn't make her feel better about the fact but being honest with Holland making her suffer was bliss of its own. Finally a conversation with a stranger that didn't start with lies. Holland's mouth feel open. Then closed. He looked at her then with a sigh and rubbed his eyes.
"I knew it, trouble." He muttered but gave her a small smile when she bowed her head.
"Don't worry I don't have Hyperion's number on speed dial. I meant what I said, you're protected here to the best of my power." Holland gave her a tip of an imaginary hat. Angel's cheeks turned up with a smile.
"Thank you Holland, but just by talking to me you could be putting yourself in danger. I shouldn't stay." Angel said remorsefully, knowing the extent of John's army and now soon the warrior. Holland snorted aloud.
"Sweet heart, with thinking like that, nothing would be safe next to you. But that depends on what you plan to do about him. Still the way the radio's have been talking it sounds like Jack's on a revenge bender for what them vault hunters did to you." he finished, eyeing her face turn angrier.
"The vault hunters? What they did to me? Biggest pile of Skag sh...mess ever. The vault hunters saved the only way I could be. Jack is the one who made me suffer, every day. Just like every one else who ever had the unfortunate fate of meeting him." Angel's breath was shaky when it was exhaled but there was heat there. Holland stayed quiet so Angel hurried to fill the silence.
"I was his prisoner. I'm a Siren, do you know about them?" Angel asked unsure if Holland would know of the obscure female warriors of the universe. To her surprise he nodded.
"I met one briefly. Commander Helga Steele of the Atlas company. I saw the end of her gun muzzle as she claimed the most promising locations for the Vault. She was pale with tattoo's like yours. I could guess you were a Siren. Didn't want to upset you by asking. Not my business what you are and what you aren't. We are who we want to be." He finished before reaching for his cup not realising it was empty. Frowning he sat back. Angel was staring at him.
"You looked for the Vault?" she asked quietly, Angel knew of Helga Steele. A Siren with a cause and a pay check. John had her stalk Steele as soon as she was planet side. Angel couldn't deny when she was watching Steele via satellite she felt envious of her freedom but felt something die with Steele when she was killed. A sister she never met. Holland was oblivious to internal dialogue and answered her.
"I was assistant manager of technologies, design and experimentation of the Dahl corporation. Sound impressive, it was really, then we came to Pandora. You have to understand, Dahl had no rights to search for the Vault legally but mining? Dahl secured the rights to mine the planets resources before any one else thought of the idea. You know this?" He asked, pointing at Angel, who nodded.
"Well in truth we dug side ways more than down, maybe hoping to dig straight into this Vault and claim it under legal terms. It went well, we used convicts sentenced to life as the work force. Easy pay and all that. People actually paid the Dahl corporation to take their criminals off planet and far away. It was a gold mine at the time. After so many years we found nothing, Dahl's investments were drying up. Then some one found a piece of the mystical Vault key near a mine." Holland exhaled loudly, his lined face pinching. Angel had a good idea of what happened next.
"Everyone went crazy. The piece disappeared when bandits raided the place and since then it swapped hands from one large maniac to another, usually covered in blood. Then Atlas company showed up. They had several outposts and claims on the planet already so they could just waltz right in without problem." His eyes glazed over and Angel could see he wasn't looking at the 'now'.
"Without as much as 'how do you do?' they opened fired and slaughtered Dahl, bandits, locals and anything else that got in their way. Good people just doing there job died that day. They didn't chase us thank God, but we were stuck in the wilds with no protection. Most of us went insane or scared and joined bandit clans or made their own. The rest of us? I think we went insane anyway but we got the hell out of there and tried to live on. Vaults are bad news, that's why they were lost. Especially after I heard what came out the first one." He swallowed and Angel agreed.
John had said there was a monster inside the Vault. But what came out was... nothing sort of nightmarish. Angel looked away. John had caused so much suffering. The Vaults had cause more.
"I'm sorry. That you lost people..." Angel never had to comfort someone before it was an unpleasant experience, what if she said the wrong thing? Holland nodded.
"Thank you, kindly." There was silence before Angel suddenly talked.
"Do you know Patricia Tannis?" The question made Holland eyes blink furiously.
"Patricia? Yeah I knew her. Kinda snobby and moan-y. But a good scientist and researcher. Even better archaeologist. Had a knack for correcting you and insulting you then getting into an intense debate with you, drove people crazy... She was good person." He finished and looked at her, curiosity to know why she had asked in his eyes. Angel fidgeted.
"She's alive, helping the resistance against Jack." She said with a small smile. Holland's smile beat hers by a mile.
"Good ole Patty! How is the smartass?" He asked leaning forward to listen intently. Angel rubbed the cold screw on the bottom of her seat. How to answer?
"Patricia is clinically insane. She's paranoid, schizophrenic, bipolar and has a great phobia of social situations" Honesty was the best drug. Right? Holland's smile fell form his face like sand.
"I... see. Is she in good hands?" He asked, a lump in his throat. Angel nodded hard.
"The best, a kind man named Roland helped her move to safety when Hyperion attacked. Last time I... heard she was able to stand out side for a whole ten seconds. Patricia is no where better on Pandora." Sadly this was true. Pandora lacked many things. Safety, sanity and hospitals. Holland was silent, as was Angel.
"More Blood berry?"
"Please."
Thank you.